My co-pending U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 512,098, filed Oct. 4, 1974, discloses and claims an artificial fishing lure having an elastomeric lure body. The present invention is directed to a method and an apparatus for molding such a lure body.
Various artificial fishing lures which incorporate a fishhook have been proposed heretofore. For example, my U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,699 discloses an artificial fishing lure which carries a semi-concealed fishhook that is pivotally mounted for movement from a retracted position to an extended, fish-impaling position when a fish strikes the lure.
The present invention is directed to a novel apparatus and method for molding the elastomeric body of an artificial weedless fishing lure, so as to provide a long, deep, narrow recess in the molded lure body for concealing the hook end of a fishhook and to provide for the attachment of a metal or plastic head on one end of the elastomeric lure body and for the anchoring of the shank of the fishhook. The present apparatus and method produces an elastomeric lure body that is readily flexible in the vicinity of the fishhook-concealing recess molded in it.
A principal object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved method of molding an elastomeric fishing lure body.
Another principal object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus for molding an elastomeric fishing lure body.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings in which: